


time is nothing but a number (when i have you)

by moons2stars



Series: Riverdale Bingo 2020 [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Mentions of Smut, and the second is betty's, but i promise there is no major character death in this one, death of minor character is mentioned, first chap is jughead's pov, just alluded, soul marks, talk of family problems, the first chapter is angsty but the second chapter lightens up, vague smut, we talk about death lots but there isn't any
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:48:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25834513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moons2stars/pseuds/moons2stars
Summary: The morning of his eighteenth birthday is cold and rainy. He can hear the pitter pattering rain on the trailer roof as he wakes up. He remembers the date and looks on his wrist. For a moment he lets himself hope despite his distaste towards soul marks that maybe he has fifty or sixty years to find his soulmate. The moment of hope diminishes and is replaced with dread swirling through his gut when he sees the black writing on his wrist.One morbid date.One terrifyingly final date on his wrist, and an initial in dainty little letters. He’s almost afraid they would blow away with the delicacy of them yet they are so final and so lethal.X • XXX • MMXXECHe had exactly a year and twenty eight days to find his soulmate.Or, In a world where you get your soulmate's date of death on your wrist, Jughead and Betty find each other amidst trying circumstances.Riverdale Bingo Summer 2020- Soulmate AU
Relationships: Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Series: Riverdale Bingo 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1857520
Comments: 86
Kudos: 152
Collections: 8th Bughead Fanfiction Awards - Nominees, Riverdale Bingo Summer 2020





	1. X • XXX • MMXX

**Author's Note:**

> Hey lovely people. This concept is not something I'd usually write, and a bit out of my comfort zone but I'm happy with how it turned out. A very special thanks to kate_crumble who beta'd and let me run all my ideas by her. She is the best, and deserves all the good in the world. Thank you lovely.

Toledo is a lot more dreary in October which is one reason Jughead hates the month. The other reason being his birthday which he hates a good amount on any normal year. This year, he loathes his birthday more than usual as it’s his eighteenth birthday which signifies a lot more than paying taxes, and being a legal adult. Even the thought of the day has soured his mood, and created a deep pit of dread in his gut. 

“Earth to Jughead.” 

Toni waves her hand in front of Jughead’s face, and suddenly Jughead remembers he’s sitting at the lunch table with his friends before he zoned out.

“Sorry. What did you say?” He asks as he picks at his food despite his usual large appetite.

“Are you excited for tomorrow?” Sweet Pea asks which warrants a punch on his arm from Toni. “Ouch! What was that for?”

“You’re not supposed to bring it up, dumb ass.” She scolds.

“Well he’s going to get a mark either way. I don’t see what not bringing it up will accomplish.” He says as he rubs his arm where Toni punched him.

Toni punches Sweet Pea on the arm again before turning to Jughead. “He does have a point, Jug.”

“Why can’t I ever eat lunch in peace?” He asks though he doesn’t mind the presence of his friends he just hates the topic. He notes Fangs is uncharacteristically quiet on the topic which he reckons is for good reason considering how close he is to the topic.

“You make it too easy for us to bother you.” Sweet Pea chimes in.

“Don’t change the subject.” Toni chastises. 

“It’s just like any other day.” He sighs.

He never understood why everyone was so obsessed with getting their soul marks. It signified death, and disappointment, but all everyone did was hope that they could find their soulmate in this gigantic world before the date on their wrist. People went on a wild goose chase to find someone with the same initials that was marked on their wrist.

  
  


Toni rolls her eyes. “Except you get your soul mark, and the rest of your future is predicted.”

It was common knowledge that when you turned eighteen you would get a date on your left wrist along with your soulmate’s initials. The date signified the day of their death, unless you found them before the date in which case your soulmate would no longer die on that date and if you were their soulmate, you would no longer die on the date on their wrist. Though there were exceptions. In some instances, you wouldn’t be the soulmate of your soulmate in which case they would be spared from the date on your wrist but your date would belong to another.

  
  


He tried not to pay much mind to soul marks or soulmates as he thought it was nothing but false hope. In fact he hoped he was one of the few who didn’t get one so that way he didn’t have to have a time marker looming over his head, and there was no room for disappointment when he didn’t find his soulmate.

  
  


Jughead secretly had hopes that if he had a date on his wrist that it would be very far into the future, not because he would go on some wild expedition to find them, but so he knew they lived a long life. Hopefully longer than his so he didn’t have to mourn the death of a person he didn’t know. 

  
  


“It’s just a mark.” He says instead opting to show his usual indifference to the topic. 

“You know if you were optimistic, you would realize that soul marks can be a good thing sometimes. Maybe you’ll meet your soulmate.” Toni offers optimistically. 

Jughead scoffs. “That’s easy for you to say. You’ve found yours before you even got your soul mark.” 

In some cases, some people will be lucky enough to find their soulmate before they even get the mark. It’s very rare, and Toni is the only person Jughead has first hand seen it happen to, but he’s not naive enough to expect it to happen to him too. Toni had been with her girlfriend since freshman year, and luckily they happened to be soulmates so instead of a date, they just got each other's initials.

“All I’m saying is to have an open mind.” Toni suggest sympathetically. 

  
Jughead nods in agreement, but doesn't expect anything special as the last thing he needs to do is get his hopes up.

* * *

After lunch, Fangs catches up with him in the hall. “Hey Jug.” 

“Hey.”

“I’m not here to piggyback off of Toni, but I just want to give you one word of advice.” Although Jughead isn’t in the mood to talk about anything to do with soulmates, he knows Fangs only really gives advice when he needs to.

“Sure.”  
  


“It’s easy to act indifferent to the whole soulmate thing. I was, but just know it changes when you actually get it. I’ve had mine all of two months, and I think about it all the time.” Fangs says as he offers his wrist for Jug to look at. He’s seen the mark before, but he never really talks to him about it, and Jughead doesn’t want to pry. He looks at the bold roman numerals that date about five years from now. “It’s not the best date, but I can work with it.”

  
  


He doesn’t think there is actually a good date to have. It all symbolizes the same. Even if some get luckier than others, everyone is doomed in their own way. Fangs is always the optimist though, and he respects him immensely for it. 

Jughead swallows the lump in his throat. “Yeah. You can make anything work, man.”

  
  


Fangs pats him on the back reassuringly. “Just know you can too.”

For just a moment, Jughead lets himself believe Fangs that he can work with any date. It's not necessarily hope just begrudged optimism. 

But of course the universe is cruel, and seems to have it out for him.

The morning of his eighteenth birthday is cold and rainy. He can hear the pitter pattering rain on the trailer roof as he wakes up. He remembers the date and looks on his wrist. For a moment he lets himself hope despite his distaste towards soul marks that maybe he has fifty or sixty years to find his soulmate. The moment of hope diminishes and is replaced with dread swirling through his gut when he sees the black writing on his wrist.

One morbid date.

One terrifyingly final date on his wrist, and an initial in dainty little letters. He’s almost afraid they would blow away with the delicacy of them yet they are so final and so lethal. 

X • XXX • MMXX

EC

He had exactly a year and twenty eight days to find his soulmate.

On October, 30th, 2020, his soulmate would die if he didn’t find them by then.

Of course, it could be worse. He has only heard instances where people have received dates from the past signifying that they had a soulmate but not one that was currently alive or one set the same day you turn eighteen. A year isn’t impossible, but it’s certainly much sooner than he anticipated. 

He wanted to be indifferent, and not care. He had always tried to show indifference to the concept of soul marks, but Fangs was right once you get the mark everything changes, and it’s nearly impossible to avoid. He feels a strange sense of familiarity when he touches the mark that both calms and unsettles him.

Instead of going to school, he finds himself at the public library researching anything he can find about soul marks and how to easily find them on the database they offer. He checks out a variety of books, and spends the whole day flipping through the pages rapidly of each aged book. He ends up checking out one that has a lot of information about soul marks, and h

Jughead gets home a little after the sun sets, not that he can see it with the constant rainfall they’ve had lately, and retreats to his room without acknowledging his dad or answering any of the many texts his friends have sent him. He knows he will eventually find out as well as everyone but he doesn’t want to see the look of pity yet. He’ll tell them at school the next day, but right now he wants as much peace as the circumstance allows which he quickly realizes is not an option.

* * *

The next few months, he is insistent on at least finding his soulmate so he can meet them, and make sure nothing bad happens. He researches anybody with the initials on his wrist that are in his area which doesn’t help much as initials are pretty general and the internet isn’t the most reliable. 

After searching every database he knows, he eventually begins to lose hope. His friends urge him to start busying himself with college applications, and working for college money. He listens, and even gets accepted to Yale amidst all he’s worked for the past four years. 

He tries not to think of his soul mark, or how with each day that passes is a day closer to the dreaded date on his wrist, but it was almost impossible. He felt as if there was constantly the cold grip of death looming around him. His dreams were plagued with death knells, and cold tombstones, and he woke up wracked with guilt of what would come if he was too late.

Sometimes he wonders what his soulmate is feeling, and what his date is littered across their wrist or if he is even their soulmate. Maybe his date is sooner than theirs and the date on his wrist won’t even matter, or maybe his is far into the future and he is forced to endure life knowing he couldn’t find his soulmate. 

One night close to the date he leaves for Yale his dad finally brings up the mark. It’s a topic they usually don’t talk about though Jughead suspects FP wants to by the way he hovers. They’re both sitting at the table as Jughead types away at his laptop.

“I know that mark has been bothering you more than you let on.” His dad says he gestures to his arm.

“I’ve just been busy with school.” Jughead says as he looks down at the table instead of his dad. 

“I’m not stupid, boy. I can see the toll it’s taken. You have been sleeping less than usual, and don’t think I haven’t noticed the overdue library book on soul marks.”

“I forgot to turn them in, but I’ll pay for the late fee.” He says as he closes his laptop, and moves to get up.

“I don’t give a shit about the late fee. You need to let this go, son.” FP says softly to which Jughead scoffs but he keeps going. “I know it’s hard, and I wanted you to be able to find them, but you’re driving yourself mad. You’re going off to college soon. Maybe you’ll find your soulmate there, but you need to just let things happen.”

“It’s harder than that, dad. Maybe you were lucky enough not to have a soul mark, but that obviously didn’t pass on to me.” Jughead said, sounding harsher than intended. He’s just so tired of all the noise, and truthfully jealous that his dad never had to experience the burden of having a mark. Though things did end badly between his parents as neither had a soul mark and neither were willing to make things work, he wanted the ability to choose a life where he didn’t have someone’s death looming over him.

“All I’m saying is that you were given an impossible situation so don’t beat yourself over something you can control.” 

  
  


* * *

  
  
The weather in Connecticut is not much different from Toledo which is cold, rainy, and wet most of the time. He doesn’t mind the rain as much anymore, but he wouldn’t be opposed to seeing the sunlight every now and then. 

  
  


He’s unpacking in his dorm along with his new roommate, Moose. He’s not someone he would usually relate to as they were both very different socially, but they’ve been having good conversations for the past hour. 

He grabs another box to unpack, and the action causes the sleeve of his shirt to ride up, and expose his mark.

Moose’s face softens. “Oh, dude that sucks.” 

“What does?” Jughead asks then realizes Moose is staring at his wrist.

“Your mark. That’s approaching soon right?”

“Yeah.” He says as he pulls his sleeve back down. 

“You never know. Maybe they're here.”

Jughead scoffs lightly, and then softens his face when he reminds Moose is just trying to be nice. This is a common response he gets from most people. Pity covered up with hope. He can’t blame them as there really is no appropriate way of responding.“I don’t think so, but it’s nice of you to say so.”

“I’ve heard stories where people have found their soulmates in less time. Maybe you’ll find yours.” He supplies, and Jughead appreciates his optimism, but he also knows hope is a dangerous thing to catch and Yale is a big school. With only a month left until the date, the number just aren't in his favor.

“Maybe.”

He continues unpacking for a while longer and just before he finishes his eye catches on the book he checked out from the library almost a year ago when he first got his soul mark. Jughead doesn’t even remember packing it, but somehow it managed in his bags. He figures it was Toni as she was always pushing him to have an open mind, and he regrets even telling her about the book. He thinks about putting it away or sending it to his dad to turn in, but then decides that there is no harm in a little hope. He ends up putting the book on his night stand.

* * *

There are times where Jughead feels a presence that he can’t quite identify. There are times where he dreams of his usual dread induced nightmares, but there are other more happier times where he dreams of pleasant things. In those dreams he always sees a woman who he has never met, but there is always a comfortable feeling in the dreams as if he’s known her all his life. 

It’s not unheard of for some people to have dreams of their soulmates though it’s not common. It only makes Jughead feel more torn apart, and desperate to find his soulmate. He has no image nor reference to what he’s looking for yet he has overwhelming feelings. 

He is more aware of his surroundings and to names and faces. He was always observant, but now he hyper fixates on anything he can. 

Unfortunately, time just doesn’t seem to be on his side.

* * *

When Jughead wakes up, it takes him a few moments to realize the date and it’s significance. When he realizes it’s October 30th, he can feel a dull ache in his chest.

He finds himself walking the streets of New Haven with no intended destination. He just can’t stay in his dorm as he feels antsy, and keeps checking his wrist for a fading mark.

The rain has stopped yet the streets are slick, and cold. He turns onto a main street that is crowded with people. He almost expects the world to break in two with the anticipation, but instead everyone is going about their day normally. He tries to watch everyone carefully as he loves to observe. Growing up he would always people watch, and see how people went about their lives. 

  
  


Then he sees a blonde young woman probably around his age walking on the sidewalk talking to someone on the phone. There is something so familiar about her yet he has no knowledge of ever meeting her. As he gets closer, he can see that she has vibrant green eyes, and her cheeks are rosy from the cold. 

Before he can debate on weather or not he’s been staring too long, he sees a car out of the corner of his eye swerve onto the sidewalk. Everything seems to go so fast, and before he knows what he’s doing, he’s pushing the blonde out of the way along with himself. The car barely misses the both of them and runs into a fire hydrant.

Jughead is still practically on top of the poor girl, but he can’t seem to move for a moment, and neither can she as they are both in shock. Almost everyone in their general area is staring at them in shock, and the driver of the car gets out and starts apologizing, but they both ignore him.

  
  


“Are you okay?” He finally asks as they both move to get up from the floor.

“Yeah. I think so. Are you?” She asks in shock.

“I think so.” 

“You saved my life. Thank you.” She says as if she is in awe. 

Jughead struggled to take a deep breath. He was still in complete shock over what he did yet he felt so drawn to the woman.“You don’t have to thank me. I just saw that asshole swerve and I don’t even know how I got over here.”

“Thank you so much-” She drawls trying to find an answer for his name.

“Jughead Jones.” He says his last name for some odd reason, but there is something so enticing about her that he feels the need to supply unnecessary information.

She chuckles lightly in an endearing manner. A pretty blush graces her cheeks and he wonders if it’s from the cold weather. “Jughead Jones. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me-” He mimics her earlier sentiment of looking for her supply her name. 

“Betty Cooper.” Then it dawns on him that it’s the 30th of October and he just saved her from a car that could have easily killed her, and her last name is Cooper. The only thing that doesn’t match is her first name, and Jughead actually feels disappointed for a moment that she’s not his soulmate.

“I’m sorry if this is a weird question, but is Betty by chance a nickname?” He hopes he’s not sounding weird or desperate, but everything about the situation adds up so well he almost has to ask.

“Yeah. My real name is Elizabeth. Why?”

Jughead can feel his heart leap, and he feels so many things at once. Relief that she didn’t die, and he didn’t have to mourn the loss of her pretty initials on his wrist and the thought of a world without her in it. The thought of a world where he never got to meet her, or a world without Elizabeth Cooper. Anxious that he isn’t her soulmate or that she’ll be disappointed to have him as her soulmate. Speechless, that he was able to find her. That in this gigantic world they live in, and a short deadline he found her. And hopeful that she feels the same connection he does. He knows a soul mark doesn’t make them bound together, and he doesn’t even know her but for once he wants to choose optimism and hope.

Jughead squints at the sudden appearance of the sun peaking through the clouds, and thinks about how nice it looks on Betty’s skin. “I think you’re my soulmate.”


	2. I • V • MMXXII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first thing she sees is the initials FPJ in bold yet dainty letters then her eyes fall upon the date.
> 
> I • V • MMXXII
> 
> So much for history not repeating itself.
> 
> Though Betty exercised every possible scenario in her head and tried to brace herself for any kind of emotional pain, she was naive to think it would hurt any less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait everyone. I hope you enjoy this chapter. A big thanks to my wonderful beta for life katecrumble who is so brilliant and amazing and delt with a lot of my craziness.

Many things in Betty Cooper’s life are expected as she nears the ripe age of eighteen.

For instance, it’s expected that she gets straight A’s all throughout school and stays involved in extracurriculars. It’s also expected that she gets accepted into multiple colleges. So far, Betty has managed to live up to those expectations despite all the pressure. She’s learned how to live under the pressure and expectations to be a good daughter, sister, student, and friend. Acquainting herself with the expected means she can’t be disappointed. Though there are plenty of times where being mentally armed just isn't enough. 

Betty wakes up on one of the most significant days of her life feeling flushed from the thick heat in her room, and sticky with sweat. She feels confined and uncomfortable from the hot June air. However, with the realization of what day it is, the unbearable summer heat is the last thing on her mind.

She sits up abruptly in her bed, and the blankets fall to the ground in her haste. Just from a quick glance down at her wrist, she can see the black writing littered across her sweaty skin. She hasn’t seen the date or the initials yet, and she almost doesn’t want to, because then it will be final and she can never unsee it. 

There is a lot of pressure resting on this mark as historically her family hasn’t gotten promising marks that ended well. 

Having unfortunate soul marks seems to be a common theme in her family. Her mother doesn’t talk much about her soulmate, but she can see the faded mark sometimes. Then Polly had gotten a little more than a year, and at first, she didn’t take the aspect of marks seriously than when she did, she was too late. She was so devastated that she dropped out of college and returned to the Cooper house. Alice was livid and talked all about how Polly was throwing away her life for a mark that meant nothing. 

Now her mother pushes Betty not to even heed the mark while Polly begs her to take the mark seriously. 

She hopes that maybe things will be different. That she won’t have to choose, and her mark will be decades into the future where her soulmate is old and grey. Even then, she fears that none of it will matter and her soulmate will have another soulmate or not even want her. 

Betty feels as if she is fated to fail no matter what mark she is destined to have, but it doesn’t matter what she feels as time stops for no one.

She finally summons the strength to look at the mark and promises herself to remember that it’s just a mark.

Only a mark.

The first thing she sees is the initials FPJ in bold yet dainty letters then her eyes fall upon the date.

  
I • V • MMXXII

So much for history not repeating itself.

Though Betty exercised every possible scenario in her head and tried to brace herself for any kind of emotional pain, she was naive to think it would hurt any less.

The disappointment is crushing, and heart-wrenching. Usually, she would try to find something to distract her from the ache in her chest, but all she can do is stare at her wrinkled sheets in defeat.

  
She spends the rest of the hot summer day in her room nursing a headache and laying in her room with the curtains pulled shut. She vaguely tells Veronica about her mark, but that she doesn’t feel like going out as they originally had planned. She understands, and surprisingly doesn’t pry, but makes Betty promise to let her see her tomorrow.

She tries not to mope as that’s not the Cooper thing to do, and she doesn’t want to worry Polly who is bound to ask eventually, but she can’t help but feel defeated. 

Around evening time, Betty wakes up to her mom coming into her room and yanking the curtains open and revealing the golden sunlight that is making it’s the last debut before the sun goes down. She closes her eyes again as her eyes are having a hard time adjusting to the sudden light.

“You didn’t answer my text.”' Alice says harshly. 

“I didn’t see it. I’m sorry.” Betty says groggily as she throws the blanket over her head to shy away from the unwelcomed light and noise. 

Her mother scoffs as she pulls her blanket away from her and starts to fold it. “I hope you haven’t been sleeping the day away, Elizabeth.”

“Sorry. I’m just tired, and my head hurts.” She sighs as she rubs her eyes and sits up.

“Well at least tell me next time you want to sulk all day.”Alice rolls her eyes.“Is this about your mark?”

Betty is surprised her mother even brought it up as she expected her to just ignore it completely and push the aspect of focusing on her studies even more. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Even in her dim room, Betty can see the look of disappointment on her mother’s face. It hurts as it always has, but Betty has gotten used to the bitter sting of her mother’s disappointment over the years.“It’s your fault for getting your hopes up.”

“I know.” She says quietly as she looks away from her mother’s frigid form. 

“I don’t expect this to affect your future. I’ve taught you better than to make choices that don’t involve some meaningless mark. Your sister cared too much and look where that got her.” 

“Her soulmate died. It’s reasonable to be upset.” Betty says remembering how distraught Polly was after she had missed the date. 

  
Alice scoffs. “Cut the melodramatics, Elizabeth. You can’t mourn someone you’ve never even met.”

  
Betty looks down into her lap and folds her hands together.“You can mourn the idea of them.” 

  
She hates generalizing her soulmate as a mere concept that is supposed to offer some kind of hope despite the cruel situation because no one deserves to have that much pressure yet be so little regarded. The harsh reality is the pressure is always there like a dull ache prodding in the back of her head that never seems to go away. 

  
“Do you really think your soulmate is even sparing a thought about you right now? I mean even if against all odds you get to actually meet them which is very slim, it’s even more unlikely you’re even compatible.” She tries to show indifference towards her mother’s cruel words even though Alice is well aware that she hit a nerve.

  
Betty has always valued the idea of having choices. In any situation, she has always tried to lay out all the potential choices she could make though sometimes it was hard with how controlling her mother was. Perhaps that’s why she is so adamant about having the ability to choose because she rarely gets to. It’s not the prospect of not being able to choose her soulmate that bothers Betty. It’s the fact that her soulmate has no choice in choosing her. 

  
“It doesn’t matter if we’re compatible. I just don’t want anyone to die if I can stop it.”

  
“You need to straighten up, and accept that the only future you can control is your own.” Alice says before she leaves Betty alone in her darkroom.

Not too long after, Polly comes in and curls up next to Betty who is still laying in bed. She looks up to see that Polly has a cupcake with a lit candle in the middle of the pink frosting. “I figured you needed the day to yourself, but I still wanted to wish you a happy birthday.”

“Thanks, Pols.” Betty says softly.

“Can I see?” Polly asks, gesturing towards her arm. Betty nods tentatively and offers her wrist out to which she gingerly takes. Betty turns her head down to look down at the blanket so she can avoid seeing Polly’s reaction. There is a long pause before her sister speaks.

“It’s not promising, but you have some time.” She says softly. 

“Not much.” Betty says quietly as she traces the faded mark on Polly’s pale wrist.

“No, but just make it count. Promise you’ll make it count, and do what mom and I couldn’t. You’re going off to Yale in two months, and you need to keep an open mind.” Polly practically pleads.

“Okay.” Betty says as earnestly as she can while she watches the wax of the burning candle drip onto the cupcake and thinks about how time doesn’t seem to be on her or the candle’s side. 

“Now make a wish. The wax is melting.”

Betty blows out the candle and wishes that she’ll have enough time- that she won’t disappoint, and she hopes the wish will count for something.

* * *

In the next two months, Betty prepares to leave Riverdale for Yale and tries to uphold her promise to Polly to keep an open mind. It’s harder than she had anticipated.

She hadn't expected her soulmate to be in Riverdale with how small the town was, and she quickly realized that was the case after she compared marks with anybody she talked to. So she focuses the rest of her dwindling time in her hometown on savoring moments with her friends who seem to be going different paths in life while relishing in this temporary feeling of familiarity before her life changes even more.

Packing up her room is bittersweet as it signifies the end of major time in her life while also signifying her finally being able to be independent and making a path of her own.

“I can’t believe I’ll get your room all to myself.” Polly says as she plops down onto the bed as Betty closes off another box.

“Don’t get too comfortable. It’s still my room.” She says as she gives Polly a pointed look.

“I know, but I’m still going to sleep in here. It’ll be like you never left.”

Ever since Polly had come home, she had been sleeping in Betty’s bed with her. She told Betty it was because her bed was lumpy, but Betty could tell she was lonely. She wasn’t complaining though as Betty got comfort from the sleeping arrangement as well, and though she would never admit it felt nice to be needed in some way even if in reality she probably needed Polly way more than she needed her.

“Maybe I should just stay.” Betty says as she worries her bottom lip in between teeth. 

“We talked about this, Betty. You need to get away from mom, and create your own life beyond all this.” She says as she gestures to her room. “Do what I couldn’t do. That includes finding your soulmate.”

Truthfully, she had been having this debate with herself more frequently as her move-in date approached. She knows she needs to do this as there really isn’t anything for her in Riverdale. She needs to get out of her mother’s control, but the aspect of starting off completely new somewhere has been plaguing her thoughts. 

  
“Polly-”

“You told me you’d try your hardest. Riverdale doesn’t have your soulmate, but maybe New Haven does.”

Betty slumps back onto the bed. This has been the other plaguing thought swirling around her head. In Riverdale, there is no chance of further disappointment. She knows it’s selfish and she needs to find her soulmate, but it’s hard to think of all the possibilities.

“What if I’m not what they want?”

Polly’s face softens as she puts her hand on her shoulder.“Then they aren’t your true soulmate. Having a soulmate is so much more than a mark. You’ll be able to feel it when you meet them.”

She doesn’t want to ask her next question, because she’s terrified of the answer. She thinks about how some questions are better off not asked as her mother likes to remind her, but Betty can’t think about what her mother says. She needs to be better about shouldering the unwanted answers. “What if I don’t get to.” 

“Please trust me when I say you can’t afford to think that way.”

* * *

  
The first thing Betty notices about New Haven is how much bigger it is than Riverdale. Though she feels overwhelmed, she mainly feels a sense of freedom. For once in her life, she can be more than what her mother wants her to be. There is also this feeling of familiarity that she has never quite felt before that she never thought she would have in a new place.

She spends a lot of time on her studies, but also honors her promise to Polly and keeps an open mind. Sometimes she’ll find herself peeking over at someone’s wrist in class, or finding something to make small talk over with anyone in her path.

  
A new occurring factor she has experienced ever since she moved to New Haven is recurring dreams. They happen quite often as the weeks go by. Sometimes the dreams turn into nightmares that are tainted with either rejection or death that wake her abruptly with tear-stained cheeks and shortness of breath despite.

Though the nightmares are unpleasant, she has good dreams too. They are pleasant and almost ethereal that is filled with promises of a future with love and acceptance that wake her gently feeling so full of love for someone she hasn’t even met yet. 

Though the more logical voice in her head that oddly sounds like her mother tells her that those dreams are nothing but nonsense that encourages false hope, the optimistic side of her wants to hold on to that feeling as it feels real to her. 

Ultimately, she decides to stop letting herself think the worst and tells herself that she will find her soulmate before the date and she’ll figure out what to do after.

* * *

  
Betty wakes up on a cold and rainy Saturday unaware it’s one of the most significant days of her life, flushed and slightly sweaty despite the cold October weather outside. Her roommate insisted they had the room at an almost unbearably hot temperature.

Along with the inconvenient temperature, she had another vivid dream. They used to occur about once month and were rather vague but ever since she came to Yale she had been getting more frequent and vivid dreams. She feels stuffy and restless so she dresses for the day and opts for a walk to her favorite coffee shop for some fresh air.

The harsh cold wind feels soothing on her flushed cheeks as she walks with her hands stuffed in her coat pockets.

Her phone buzzes in her hand interrupting all the swirling thoughts in her head. She stops next to a fire hydrant and out of the way of the people walking and looks down to see it’s from her mom and answers the phone reluctantly as a phone call with her never ends well.

Just as she predicted, her mom starts complaining about Polly and lectures Betty about how important school and self-identity is in her own condescending Alice way. A few minutes into the rant, Betty gets that familiar swooping feeling in her gut that feels almost like little butterflies except instead of a profound feeling of random happiness, it’s more equivalent to fear.

Before she knows it, she’s on the ground about two feet away from where she was previously standing and practically underneath some guy.

Once she gets at least a quarter of her barings, she can look at the person. He looks to be around her age and has black curly hair that is quite messy but looks to be very soft. His eyes are intensely blue especially in contrast to the grey, gloomy day. There is something so intimately familiar about him. She feels as if she has met him before, but she has no memory of ever seeing him. 

They make small talk, and she learns he is quick-witted and charming. Then before she knows it, he’s saying five words that change her life forever. 

* * *

Despite the minor setback, Betty does end up at her favorite coffee shop as she had planned to do when she had first woken up this morning. What she didn’t plan was to be sitting across from the very attractive man who saved her from a car that almost crushed her, and is also her soulmate. 

  
This was definitely not the scenario she imagined when she met her soulmate. Nevertheless, she is glad he found her, and death is not victorious in claiming either one of them. 

“My date was today?” Betty asks, still in shock over the whole situation.

Jughead nods as he fiddles with his fingers appearing to be nervous. “Yeah. I honestly didn’t think I’d get to you in time.”

“That was a really impossible date, but you have impeccable timing.” She remarks thinking about how hard it must be with a mark dated so soon.

“I guess I do.” Jughead says, looking shocked as well. “I know it doesn’t matter now, but what was my date?”

“January 5th, 2022. I didn’t have much time, but I guess you beat me on-time efficiency.” She laughs sheepishly, still processing the whole situation. 

“I’ve never been so happy that I left my bed.”

“Is Jughead your birth name?” She asks to remember that his name doesn’t match her initials. She’s not sure how her mind can skip over such an important detail.

Jughead shakes his head, and she can feel the tension on her shoulders ease. “No it’s just a nickname, but the real name is worse.”

“Are you going to tell me or do you want me to guess?” Betty asks as she arches her brow in question. She isn’t quite sure where this more playful side of her is coming from, but something about talking with Jughead is just so easy. 

He arches his brow in challenge but she can see the corner of his mouth turning up in a smile. “You’re not going to be able to guess it, but I’d like to see you try.  
“I assume it starts with the letter F.,” She asks wryly.

“Correct.” 

“And your middle name starts with a P?”

“However did you know?” His tone is dripping with sarcasm, that she actually finds endearing.

“A lucky guess.” She puts her finger to her chin in mock contemplation. “Fredward Peter?”

Jughead grimaces comically. “That is a terrible name, but still you’re still not correct.”

“Okay. I give up.”

“I don’t usually tell anybody my name especially when I first meet them so you should feel very honored.”

“You got to learn my real name first so it’s only fair.” 

“Forsythe Pendleton Jones the third.”

“The third?” She asks in disbelief that there are at least two other people with such a unique name.

“I told you the real thing was worse.”

Betty can’t help the smile that creeps onto her face. “I like it. It’s very unique.”

“You’re probably the only one, but thank you.” He chuckles.“Are you just visiting New Haven or do you live here?”

“I live here while I go to school at Yale.”

Jughead’s eyes widen, and his lips pull into an even bigger smile which is quite contagious. “That’s such a coincidence. I go to Yale as well, and I also dorm there.”

She feels as if the connection between them just keeps growing though she also feels foolish that he was so close this whole time and she didn’t notice. “You were right under my nose the whole time, and I didn’t realize it.”

“It’s a big school, and I don’t think we had any classes. I probably would have noticed you.” He says with a boyish grin, and she blushes at his wording. 

  
“What happens now?” Betty asks dreading her own question but knowing it had to be asked. Jughead’s smile drops and his shoulders droop slightly and he doesn’t look as confident as he did before.

“I don’t know. Truthfully, I didn’t think this far. I was just focused on finding you. I didn’t think about what would happen after.” Jughead says as he takes a deep breath. “Maybe we can just see where things go from here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean we should just play things by ear, not force anything.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

She understands. She really does, because there is a lot to consider, and finding a soulmate is hard enough but no one ever talks about how it is to form any kind of relationship on that much pressure. That’s why she’s so angry at herself for still feeling disappointed; for wanting more. 

“This is just a lot to take in.” He says not quite meeting her eyes. 

She tries to swallow back the sting of disappointment once again.

* * *

She walks back with Jughead per his insistence which she assumes is warranted considering earlier events. They are both quiet, and she keeps her eyes on her shoes as she walks so he doesn’t see the disappointment in her eyes. She refuses to use her emotions as weapons the way her mother does. 

Once they make it to the steps outside Betty’s dorm hall, she stops walking before walking up the aged steps.

“I think I can make it without getting crushed by a car from here.” She jokes.

“That’s relieving.” He retorts and shoots her a small smile she hopes isn’t out of pity.

“Thanks for walking me back.” She says awkwardly as she doesn't know what else to say.“I- 'll see you around.”

“Betty?” His voice is soft and she almost doesn’t hear him over the howling of the wind in her ears. 

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad you didn’t die.” It's a weird thing to say, but something about it is so genuine that Betty can feel her breath catch. “I’m glad I found you.”

“Thank you.” She says trying to find the right words. Truthfully, she isn’t sure there are right words for this situation as she doesn’t want to take anything to heart. Though that is probably too late as that is what she’s good at. That’s probably her downfall. Hopelessly letting her heart take the brunt of heartbreak she shouldn’t have. “I’m glad you found me too.”

* * *

  
Time ticks by slower than Betty remembered. It seemed as if time was going too fast before she met Jughead with the pressure to find him, but now she feels stuck. 

There is this odd limbo between her and Jughead. They seem to dance around each other instead of actually talking, and Betty wants to talk to him; she just doesn’t know-how. Their conversation flowed so easy at first and then he was telling her they needed to play things by ear which she respected. It’s not like she wanted to jump into anything serious quite yet as she doesn’t even know him that well, but he acts so timid with her now.

She can feel all her self doubts creep in. Maybe she’s not what he wanted or expected in a soulmate, and so he’s just trying to let her down easy. Betty tries not to think about these poisonous thoughts that invade her mind, but she can’t seem to keep them at bay. She hates that she had hopes up as usual. She wishes expectations didn’t have to weigh so much, and that she could let them go. 

They don’t talk hardly ever, but she finds herself observing him often. Betty tries not to stare when she sees him around the hallways or in the library, but her line of sight always seems to gravitate towards him.

She notices that he likes to keep to himself as he is alone with headphones, and typing away at his computer. He always has on that grey knit beanie, even indoors which Betty finds peculiar but oddly endearing. 

Sometimes when she’ll glance up at him from her table at the library, he’ll catch her glance. When it first happened, she almost turned beet red from embarrassment, but then supplied a boyish grin. Other times, it would be her who felt the heat of his stare, and she would be lying if she said it was unwelcomed. 

Nevertheless, Betty reminds herself that Jughead wants to play things by ear, and she needs to let him come to her as she doesn't want to overwhelm him.

  
The rain isn’t as heavy as it has been the past few weeks, but Betty still finds herself holed up in the library studying despite the nicer day. 

She’s typing away at her essay that is worth a solid part of grade when she can sense someone standing at her table. She wraps up her sentence and looks up to see Jughead who looks nervous as he sticks his hands in his pockets. She should probably greet him, but she wasn’t expected to see him so she just stares blankly into his blue eyes.

“Hey.” He waves awkwardly with a small smile. 

“Hi.” She says not quite knowing what to do with herself either as she didn’t expect this conversation. 

“Can I sit here?” He asks after a moment.

She feels silly forgetting her manners in the first place and not offering him the seat. “It’s all yours.”

He sits down and for a few moments, they sit in silence. He looks like he wants to say something, and frankly, she has a lot of things she’s been dying to ask him, but it seems as if neither of them has the words. 

“I need to talk to you.” He says, mercifully breaking the silence. “Is now a good time?”

“Yeah. A break sounds nice.” She says as she closes her laptop.“Is everything alright?” She asks, trying not to sound too frantic. 

“Yeah. I just have a lot of things I’ve been meaning to tell you, but I didn’t have the guts.”

“Yeah. I feel the same.” She laughs feeling a bit more relieved that they seem to feel the same way. “Do you have the guts now?”

He laughs softly.“No, but when am I ever going to. Better now than never.” 

“Do you maybe want to get pizza?” He asks, looking at her nervously.“If you aren’t busy.”

“Yeah. That sounds nice.”

  
He takes her to a pizza joint she’s never been to as she goes out very rarely. She notes how it seems every time she does go out, it’s under interesting circumstances. 

She watches in amusement as he eats almost a whole pizza and whatever she offers to him because she's full. They make small talk, and she can feel the timid energy between them fade. Both of them know they should talk about where to go from here but it seems better to break the ice first.

After they finish eating, they walk throughout the streets. All of the leaves have long fallen leaving the trees brittle and bare. Everything in New Haven has a certain beauty that she finds herself lost in most of the time. She glances over to Jughead who is also looking at the trees. She takes not of how captivating he looks along with the beautiful scenery.

They walk in silence though it seems as if they are both trying to figure out what to say. Eventually, they stop to sit on a bench at a nearby park. There is so much left unspoken between them, and Betty isn’t sure where to start.

She doesn’t have to think much more, because Jughead speaks first.

“I’m sorry if I’ve been a bit distant lately. I just needed to wrap my head around everything.”

“I understand if you don't want to pursue this, Jug.” 

“I want to.” He says insistently. “I just don’t want to mess anything up.”

“It’s funny because I always hated the concept of soul marks.” “I thought that if I didn’t care then I wouldn’t be as disappointed when I got a shit date. Then I actually got a shit date, and I realized how much I downplayed everything.”

“I became so focused on the mark and finding you that I didn’t think about what would happen after. Then I met you, and I felt so connected to you and I just didn’t want to mess it up but I guess I did anyway.” Jughead says looking almost defeated.

“You didn’t mess anything up. This is all so new and scary, but there is no right way to do things.” She says thinking about how they probably both need this advice. “You can mess up with me.”

She can feel the warmth on her left hand that is resting on the bench, and looks down to see Jughead's hand resting on her own."Maybe we can start over." He supplies with a crooked smile.

“I have a new plan.” Betty declares.

"And that is?" He asks with an inquisitive smile. 

"We don't depend on fate. We have to depend on ourselves and each other for our happiness. Maybe we'll mess up, but I'm in this if you are."

His smile widens and she can feel his hand squeeze hers ever so slightly. "That's a solid plan, Cooper."

* * *

Things seem to shift between her and Jughead. There is still a limbo between them, but it’s different than before. Before she felt as if they were tiptoeing the line of strangers and acquaintances that was hardly acknowledged. Now it feels like the line has shifted to a beloved friend to something more beyond anything she can pinpoint. Instead of that timid and delicate air around them from before, there is a more sound and stronger connection.

When she’s not studying with him at the library, she’s listening to him talk about literature and everything wrong with the public school system and in turn, he adamantly listens to her passionate rants over pizza. They laugh at stupid things and explore different parts of New Haven. 

They are in the library one day studying as they usually do with the occasional pause for bantering about whatever comes to mind. 

“Jug?” She asks.

“What is the question of the day, Cooper?” Jughead asks teasingly as he turns his attention away from his laptop.

“What are soul marks like in your family?” She asks resting her head in her hand and leaning towards Jughead.

She has always wondered what soul marks are like in other people’s families, and how it affects family dynamics. Jughead doesn’t talk much about his family, and she doesn’t pry but from the very vague information he has shared with her, he doesn’t have much of a relationship with his parents. 

“Both of my parents didn’t have a mark so they married mostly out of convenience.” He shrugs.

Betty's face softens. “I’m sorry. That’s really unfortunate.”

Jughead only shrugs though she can tell it bothers him more than he lets on. “It’s whatever. They were hardly compatible as it was. I just wish they took that into account before having two kids they weren’t ready to take care of.”

“I’m sorry, Jug.” She says as she places her hand on top of his.“I don’t think parents understand the weight their actions have on their kids."

He nods his head in agreement. “What are marks like for the Coopers?” 

“Both my mom and my sister missed their dates.” 

"That really sucks.”Jughead says as he turns his hand that Betty's own hand is resting over so their palms are touching and he can interwine their fingers. “I’m sorry, Betts.”

“Polly dropped her whole life after the date passed. She begged me to find my soulmate whereas my mom loathes the ideas of soulmates and told me I shouldn't be wasting my time on someone who probably isn’t even thinking of me.” She says. 

“That’s harsh.”

“It’s whatever.” she says echoing his earlier words. 

“You know that your mom is wrong, right?” He says 

“I’m used to my mother’s antics.” 

“No. I mean sure I would think about my mark all of the time but ever since I met you, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.” Jughead says as takes off his beanie seeming to be nervous yet he says his words with such assurance.“You’re pretty hard to forget, Betty Cooper.”

“You’re pretty memorable yourself, Jughead Jones.”

“Also-”

“What?”

Before she knows what’s happening, his lips are on hers and his hands are cupping her cheeks. It only takes her a brief moment to react, and she lets her hands come up to frame his face. The kiss is soft and chaste, and Betty feels a profound sense of warmth in her chest. 

* * *

As the flowers start to bloom come spring in rainy New Haven, Betty feels her connection with Jughead blossom even more with every passing second.

She is reminded of this connection whenever she is having a particularly bad day and he brings her favorite takeout to her dorm room without her even having to tell him about her day. Or the feeling of delight in her chest whenever their hands brush as they are walking around the campus. Every touch she shares with him sends a profound feeling of delight in her chest.

Another bond they share that she is especially fond of is the way they have become accustomed to each other’s bodies. 

The feeling of his hands exploring her body, and inspiring goosebumps down her arms and a chill up her spine despite feeling completely on fire with his bold touch will never cease to amaze her. Or when his languid kisses trail further down her body, until he’s bringing her to the brink with his tongue.

She’ll never tire of his sharp and deliberate thrusts into her heat that turns jagged as they both near the edge. She loves feeling the weight of his body after he collapses onto her when they both finish. 

Though one of her favorite moments with him is when they are basking in the afterglow of their heated reunion with soft touches and candid confessions. She intently listens to him talk about all his fears and aspirations for the future, and in turn, he listens to all her rants and musings. She feels free to break herself open to him and expose the deepest and most private parts of herself, and she feels privileged that he is comfortable to do the same.

No matter the connection, Betty treasures the little universe she has with Jughead.

* * *

Before she knows it, it’s time to move out of her dorm as the semester is over, and summer has begun. She’s not ready to go back home-to leave New Haven- to leave Jughead. She’s not dependent on him. She can be without him for a few months, and their relationship is strong but she doesn’t want to be away from him. Despite her sadness in leaving, they both have things to tend to back home for the summer before they come back. Betty made promises to her mother to return for the summer and she has to help Polly who has an internship in Chicago move out of their house into her new apartment and Jughead is visiting his mom for the summer. 

They are both flying back to their respective hometowns on the same day, and they made sure to book them around the same time so they could goodbye to each other. 

“What if I just don’t let go.” She says into his chest as she tightens her arms around his waist, and buries her face into his chest.

She can feel Jughead smile into her hair as he cradles her head into his chest with one hand and pulls her even closer with his other arm. “I wouldn’t complain, but we’d need to eat eventually.”

She lets out a wet laugh along with his sad one.“I just don’t want to be away from you when I just found you.”

“You won’t be away from me for long. Once I get you back you’ll be stuck with me for eternity, Betty Cooper.” He pulls back and puts his hands on her shoulder so he looks directly into her eyes. “And when you’re not with me I won’t stop spamming you with embarrassingly long texts.”

“You hate texting.” She smiles as she thinks about all of his rants about how texting is confusing and unnecessary.

“I don’t hate texting you.” He says earnestly. 

The announcement for her plane boarding rings throughout the terminal and has a similar effect of a ticking clock.“That’s my flight.”

“I love you.” He says almost reverently. 

It’s not the first time he has said it but she feels her breath catch every time.

“I love you.” She says as she tries to hold her tears back. She presses her lips to him once more and turns to the direction of the gates.

She looks back at him to savor every glance she can get before she departs. Every inch away from him hurts a bit more, but she knows she’ll get to see him again. Besides distance is but a number, and she’s learned how to bear the weight of them.

* * *

The distance is hard to think about, and Betty feels as if she is without a limb without Jughead, but they text and call every day. He'll send her the number of days till they can see each other once again daily. Betty has never wanted time to go by faster.

Helping her sister move was another bittersweet event of this past year. She’s happy that Polly is taking this step for herself, but she feels as if the last of her childhood is leaving with her. 

  
“Is that the last of it?” Polly asks as she scans her nearly empty room filled with boxes.

“I think so.” Betty says as she brushes the fine layer of dust on her sister’s barren bookshelf. 

“A year ago the roles were reversed.” She says wistfully as she closes off the final box.

“It’s weird to think that was a year ago.” Betty says as she plops onto the bed.

“Time does fly.”Polly nods in agreement. “Now I’m moving to Chicago, and you are at New Haven with your soul mate.”

She nods in agreement. “You’ll visit for Thanksgiving?”

“Of course. I’m not going to miss meeting your soulmate for the first time.”Polly remarks as she nudges Betty’s side. “You hardly talk about him as it is.”

It’s not that Betty doesn’t want to talk about Jughead to her sister or that she is ashamed as she could probably spend hours recounting everything about him. She just prefers to be more private about her relationship as it belongs to them. 

She also wants to take her sister's feelings into account. She knows Polly encourages Betty to talk to her about Jughead, she just can't help but feel guilty. Logically, Betty knows that she can't control her sister's mark, but she just hates that some people have the opportunity to find their soulmates while others run out of it.

Seeming to read her thoughts, Polly puts her hand on Betty's shoulder. "You can be happy without feeling guilty." She says earnestly. "Now tell me all the details I have missed." 

* * *

When she moves back into her dorm late August, she is eager to get everything unpacked before Jughead arrives in New Haven which is later in the day. She doesn’t want to have to worry about anything, because she’s not sure she’ll let go of him once she sees him. 

She is about to unpack her last box of belongings when she hears a knock at her door. Huffing at the distraction, and assuming it’s probably an RA she swings open the door a little more forcefully than she intended. All of her exhaustion, and frustrations completely dissipate when she is greeted with the sight of Jughead.

In a flash, her lips are on his, and she is clutched so tightly to his chest that she would be afraid they would run out of the air if she wasn’t so unbelievably excited to see him.

They pull apart but she keeps her eyes closed “Betty Cooper, you are a sight for sore eyes.” 

“I missed you Juggie.” She says breathlessly.

“I missed you too, Betts.” He said as he rests his forehead against hers.“Those were the longest three months of my life.”

“Tell me about it.” Betty whispers.

Her roommate isn’t supposed to come until the next day so they spend the whole night in uninterrupted solace, and Betty finally feels at home. 

* * *

Her softmore year of college seems to go byin a blink of an eye. She spends most of her time with Jughead, and she brings him home for Thanksgiving as prmosied to Polly who dishes plenty of embarrassing stories from their childhood. Her mother is still not happy that Betty decided to pursue her mark, but despite a few snide remarks the night is perfectly memorable. 

She gets to meet Jughead's dad at Christmas as well, and though she can tell their relationship is strained, Jughead enjoys enjoys himself. She feels so appertive that he let her into that aspect of his life as it has been something he struggled with in the past. 

They have their high and low points, and some pretty intense arguments but they always sort it out and come out stronger because of them.

* * *

It's the end of the spring semester, and move out is over a month away. Neither of them seem to have plans for the summer, but they haven't had a chance to really talk anything over. However, at the moment neither of them seem to be worrying about that as they are caught up in their post-coital glow.

“Mine is cooler.” She teases as she traces her initials on his wrist. 

“I didn’t realize this was a competition.” He chuckles as he pushes his hair out of his face and lines his mark up with her’s for comparison. “Mine is prettier though.”

Betty is pretty sure she looks ridiculous with how hard she is smiling, but she just feels so happy. “Eh, it looks kind of crooked.”

Jughead groans as he flops back on the bed comically. “Can’t the universe cut me a break? First a soon date, then a competitive soulmate-” He pokes Betty in the shoulder playfully to which she playfully slaps him on the chest, but smiles widely. “And now a crooked mark.” 

“It could be worse. You could have a soulmate named Forsythe.” 

“That was cold, Cooper.” Jughead says in mock hurt as he puts his hand to his chest.

“If it’s any consolation. I love your name.” She says just before she presses her lips to his.

“I was thinking.” He says taking on a slightly more serious tone as they get adjusted back in the bed. 

“When are you not?” Betty teases.

“Shush you.” Jughead says as he pushes her shoulder gently then rests his hand on the bare skin there. “Anyways, I was thinking since we have to move out of the dorms soon and we have significantly fewer things to do this summer we should explore our options.”

“What do you mean?” Betty asks with a furrowed brow.

“Move in with me.” The words are reverently asked, and she feels as if she could be swept away with them.

“What?” She asks in disbelief. 

“I don’t have a place picked out yet or anything, and a lot is up in the air but I know that I never want to be away from you again. You can say no. I know it’s spontaneous and-”

Jughead doesn't get to finish because Betty practically launches herself at him. She presses her lips to his in several quick yet insistent kisses. “Of course I’ll move in with you, Juggie.”

“Really?” He asks in disbelief.

Betty isn’t a spontaneous person. She finds comfort in a well-structured plan made out of reason and sensibility. Though she didn’t plan on finding an apartment so soon, this decision doesn’t need a carefully planned agenda. Not only has she found comfort in solace in Jughead, but she has also found it in herself. So trusting herself to move in with the love of her life isn’t a choice she needs to ponder much. 

“You’re stuck with me.” Betty says as a matter of factly. 

Jughead presses a soft kiss to her forehead. “I like my chances." 

* * *

At the ripe age of twenty-two, there are a lot of things expected in Betty Cooper’s life. 

For instance, it’s expected that she graduates from Yale in the spring, starts her career in journalism, and visits her sister every holiday . It's also expected that she comes home every day to Jughead in their small yet comfortable apartment. 

There is a lot of unexpected things as well, and while she used to fear the unexpected, she has learned to welcome it as it brought her some of the best things in her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. Feel free to tumble with me at moons2stars

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter is Betty's Pov and much fluffier but there is a helping a angst. However, Betty and Jughead interact way more, and have some very fluffy and perhaps smutty moments so yay. Comments are much appreciated. Thank you for reading <3


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